Dendias: Greece would consent to a written request by France for dispatch of Crotale system for Olympics

“If France expresses in writing the verbal request for the supply of Crotale for the protection of Paris during the Olympic Games, Greece will consent,” National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias noted on Friday in statements after his meeting with the regional governor of Central Macedonia Apostolos Tzitzikostas at the headquarters of the region.

He said the country (Greece) that has signed a defence agreement with the French Republic, cannot turn down a request for help in the Olympic Games that “represent everything Greek in this world,” said Dendias regarding the provision of the mobile anti-aircraft system Crotale. He also pointed out that Greece has sufficient defence systems.

Answering a press question about armament systems that may be transferred to Ukraine, the minister said that “the government representative took a stance after being briefed by the National Defence Ministry. No Patriot missile will be transferred, S-300s will not be transferred, the country is not going to be deprived of what is necessary for its defence and the protection of the core interests of the country.”

In parallel he underlined that the Ministry is a key ministry in which the doors are always open for the information of the oppositon parties and of the political leader for any matter of national defence.

On the involvement of the Greek frigate ‘Hydra’ to the protection of merchant vessel in Aden Gulf, he said that “there was an extremely successful interception of an attack against a merchant vessel and that’s why the ship went there. We are aware that our crew is operating in a risk zone. I have said it from the beginning, I went to the frigate as it was on its mission. It needs the full support of the Greek society and furthermore, the crew he crew is gaining invaluable experience in real-world conditions, as in the Patriot array we have in the wider region,” he added.